


Safe and sound.

by Rogue1987



Category: Band of Brothers
Genre: Angst, Boys Kissing, Developing Relationship, Eventual Happy Ending, M/M, Period-Typical Homophobia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-10
Updated: 2014-04-05
Packaged: 2018-01-15 07:14:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1296151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rogue1987/pseuds/Rogue1987
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This sets place right after Bastogne when David Webster finds his way back to Easy company and doesn't really get the warm welcome he sort of expected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Because you left.

_Hagenau, february 1945._

 

 

 

 

Joe Liebgott and the rest of second platoon were on their way to Hagenau, a small town in Belgium.  
It was another dreary, freezing day, like they had endured ever since last november and yet even after all this time spend outside they still had not built up any resistance to the merciless elements around them.

The temperature they suffered through never stopped weighing on them. The icy feeling in their lungs was so intense, so consuming that it felt as if your insides were being burned from within. The cold took everything from them; their sleep, their comfort, their feet, their appetite and their general will to live.

At a certain point in Bastogne they had all individually broke. In their own way. Whether it was from the extremities or losing their countless friends. Everyone cracked. Spending two months freezing away in a foxhole, sitting in your own shit, getting shelled at by relentless artillery and not getting any rest had been torture. Getting through it without any winter clothes, ammunition or the necessary rations had been the proverbial straw that broke the camels back. 

Bastogne was literally the worst place Joe had ever been in his entire life.  
However all of those shit they endured failed in comparison to when they lost their friends. That hurt more than their growling stomachs, their trench foot or the headaches they suffered from not sleeping.

Muck and Penkala had been killed by a single round, which had completely devastated Malarkey. Ever since they had perished he had been walking around resembling a ghost. As if a part of him had died with them. Joe hadn't seen him smile once since the event and doubted whether he ever would again. 

Don Hoobler, the guy who had been most excited about warfare in general had accidentally shot himself in the leg with his freshly scrounged Luger and died on the spot. Leaving his friends in a helpless puddle of tears. 

Smokey Gordon got pinked in the neck and was paralyzed. 

Bill Guarnere and Joe Toye had lost their legs, and Buck Compton had broken down mentally after seeing that and had been transferred off the line.

Bastogne had cost them a lot of good men but it had also brought the company even closer to each other.  
Even the new boys like Babe Heffron, Tony Garcia and Les Hashey fit right in and felt familiar.

The NCO's had desperately tried to keep the spirits up, with Luz at the front of that, _cracking jokes_ , handing out smokes and contraband to whoever needed them and he was always in the mood to cheer people up.

Lipton was the only guy who probably _never_ slept.

Joe always spotted him walking besides the foxholes at night, making sure everybody was all right and feeling well.  
He sacrificed everything about himself for them, but lately he had been coughing a lot and according to Doc Roe he had a serious fever and a pneumonia.

Speirs had promised him a bed when they were riding into Hagenau.  
It looked like it would be the first time in months that they would be sleeping inside.

Then Joe saw a familiar blue eyed face appear and the figure was walking towards their truck which was unfortunately driving at walking pace.

 _Fuck,_ he muttered under his breath _. Webster._

To be honest he had not thought about him much ever since Webster had gotten himself shot in Holland four months ago and was transferred to the hospital, but now he was back and still _annoying_ as hell.

He had never really cared for Webster, since he was a white collard, spoiled college boy that went to Harvard and loved to use big words to display his IQ to the other guys. Also he was way too quiet and terribly tedious.

Joe liked to hang out with straight forward, no bullshit guys like Luz, Alley, Smokey and Talbert. Guys with a great sense of humor and a fucking big mouth.

''Hey fellas, some Lieutenant told me to report to second, where is the rest of the group?'' Webster grinned as he looked around the truck curiously, like it was an interesting movie or something.

''This _is_ everybody,'' Martin grumpily snapped.

Webster conveyed them with a confused look in his eyes. ''Come on Sergeant Martin this can't be everybody, I mean where is Hoobler?''

His question lingered in the air, unanswered. Joe frantically lit another cigarette, trying to avoid his repressed anger from bubbling over his lips. This was the perfect example of the cruel irony or war. That guys like Webster were spared and somehow made it back to the platoon after a four month holiday and that people like Muck, Penkala and Hoobler had brutally been taken from them. Joe Toye, who had been back at the company after three days at the aid station had got his leg blown off as a thank you. And yet Webster had endured a small nick to his leg and spend four months being nursed by cute ladies in stockings while they suffered in the cold. 

''Your name is Jackson right?'' Webster asked and Jackson nodded stiffly. Clearly not overly excited to help Webster out. Jackson was quite skittish toward people he didn't know that well. Not that Webster picked up on that, obviously. Apparently some things were not taught at Harvard.   
''Help me up Jackson,'' Webster ordered and he let the young boy drag him and his knapsack into the truck.

''So you just coming back from the hospital?'' Jackson asked formally. When Webster said yes with that cheshire smile Joe felt his insides drop. 

He tried to bite his tongue but couldn't hold it in anymore. ''Must have liked that hospital, cause uh we left Holland _four months ago,_ '' he exclaimed furiously. Somehow he had thought he would feel a little lighter now, relieved, but he only felt angrier and noticed that his hands shaking around his cigarette.

''Well I wasn't there the whole time, I also had to go to the rehab facility and all,'' Webster murmured weakly.

Joe snorted unimpressed at Babe. ''Yeah but I'm sure you tried to bust out to help us in Bastonge right?'' 

''I'm not sure how I could have done that,''

''Well thats funny cause Alley found a way didn't he?'' he asked Babe who nodded in agreement, ''and so did Popeye, Toye and Guarnere,'' Joe raged on and Webster turned a little red.

''Yeah where is Guarnere?'' Webster asked and the truck stopped and Joe jumped off before he would feel even more temped to throw Webster under it and put his foot on the gas.

''Bill got hit,'' Jackson informed him.

Webster looked genuinely aghast at that statement. That wasn't a shock, everyone around the battalion knew and respected Bill Guarnere. Webster swallowed thickly. ''Yeah? So who is leading the platoon?''

Joe saw an opportunity to screw with Webster there, so he took it. ''Sergeant Malarkey for now, but they are making him a lieutenant soon,''

''Yeah? That's great,'' 

''Yeah ain't it?'' 

They left the truck and Joe could hear Webster ask more dumb questions about what happened to them and he followed his squad into the first house they would sleep in months. It wasn't exactly warm inside but it exceeded everyone's expectations. There were actual beds for once and when Babe found some extra blankets Joe was certain that everyone would sleep comfortably for the first time in ages. Johnny Martin had assured them he would go on a trip to scrounge them some heaters, or wood for a fireplace. Mc Clung argued that all the wood they would find would be far too wet to use, but Johnny waved that away. He could make lemonade out of strawberries. No one said no to him. 

Half an hour later Webster entered the building with a tall Lieutenant behind him.  
Damn Joe had hoped that he would be back with his own guys in first platoon, but of course he wasn't this lucky.

''This is Lieutenant Jones,'' Webster said introducing the kid who looked like he was fresh out of West Point. The new looey went to Malarkey to introduce himself and their voices faded into the background. Joe focused his attention to Webster and told him to come over.

''So Web what do you know about this patrol thing?'' Joe asked when he had overheard Malarkey say the word patrol.

''Eh nothing,'' Webster said evasively.

''Come on Web, you were at HQ for half an hour.  _I know you know something._ Spill it,'' Joe urged.

Babe sat down on a bunk and called Chuck Grant over to listen to their conversation while they sipped some coffee from a canteen.

Webster exhaled deep. ''Fine but if I tell you, you can't let anyone know that I told you,''

Joe rolled his eyes at him. ''Your secret's safe Web,''

''Three guys that are going on this patrol are here right now, one of them is Heffron. The other's are Mc Clung and Ramirez,''

''Okay any from other platoons?'' Joe asked and Webster shook his head.  
''No, I don't know, not that I know off,''

Malarkey was in front of them, looking defeated and exhausted. He folded his arms together and cleared his throat. 

''So listen up. I'm leading this patrol. Regiment wants Heffron, Mc Clung and Ramirez-'' Malarkey started but Heffron cut him off.

''We heard, Webster just fucking told us,''

Webster turned his back to them, cringed and fled the room. Joe was sure he had seen a tear glistening in his ocean blue eyes.  
He didn't want to feel bad for the kid, in fact he _didn't_ feel bad for him.

But there was a knot in his stomach that kind of told him that he actually  _did_ feel a tiny bit sorry for the college boy. For some unknown reason. 

He wanted to go down to the basement to comfort him but before he could, a shell hit the house and everybody felt it shake in its foundation.

 **''Go guys!!**   **Move! To the basement!!''** Malarkey shouted and everybody obeyed immediately. When they came down, Joe found Webster curled up like a ball on an old chair, tears streaming down his cheeks.

Everybody was laying on the floor laughing and giggling about the shelling-their defense mechanism- but Webster just sat there on a chair, sobbing.  
Joe wanted to say something, or even touch him to comfort him but he wasn't sure what he could say.

 _Why did he even care?_  
Webster had left them behind after he had been shot in his leg in Holland.

He had disappeared from his life for months, abandoned him, leaving him to fight Bastogne with all these rookie replacements and for what?

Why couldn't he just have been braver, or tougher, like Guarnere or Toye and just left the hospital to help them out?  
Why did he _have_ to be the coward?

But then a very small and impartial voice inside of himself whispered,  _if you would have been in his spot, lying in a nice warm hospital bed, would you have left that place_ _to voluntarily freeze your ass off in the snow?_

Probably not, but Joe knew that if he had been in Webster's shoes that he would probably _had_ taken off to help his friends.  
Not if he knew what seven hells he was descending into but of course he could not know that.

The group scurried off back upstairs when the silence returned but Joe stayed behind in the freezing basement.

He took the cigarette he had tugged in behind his ear and handed it to Webster, while lighting another cigarette for himself.

''Here, it looks like you need it,'' he offered and Webster took it with a small smile and Joe noticed that Websters hands were stone cold.

Joe was halfway up the stairs when he heard Webster's tiny voice. ''They all hate me,'' Webster muttered, sounding almost surprised about that.

''Well you kinda deserve it don't you?'' he snapped, as he walked down to face Webster. If he wanted an argument he could get it. This was four months overdue. 

''Why? BecauseI didn't escape the hospital? Is that such a terrible crime?'' 

''Well sort of, look they just don't get why you haven't busted out to help us, so they are going to give you a hard time. You just have to prove yourself to them again, show them that you actually care about what happens to them,'' Joe advised.

Webster frowned affronted. ''Why should I _have_ to prove myself?  
I'm a veteran of D-day and Market Garden.  _I don't have to prove myself to you or anyone else!!''_ Webster snorted arrogant and Joe felt the warm familiar feeling of enragement crawling back into his chest.

''Your such an asshole aren't you? Always thinking you're so much better than us, just because you went to fucking college. Let me educate you with a little story: Joe Toye _never_ went to college, in fact he considers himself a dumb miner who can't even write properly. He can't spell anything.  
But he came back Web, every time that he got it, he was back in a few days. On new years eve he got nicked in the arm by a piece of shrapnel, it was pretty bad.  
He was back in less than three days.  
Because he didn't want to leave us behind. Joe Toye may not have been the worlds most smartest man, but he was one of the bravest men I've ever met.  
And I would rather be in this shithole with him instead of you. Because he actually came back, he was brave. He wasn't hiding behind some nurse's skirts in a comfy hospital bed.   
_**You will never match up to the people we've lost!!''**_ Joe shouted and he regretted his words instantly.

He knew he was being too harsh- _way too harsh in fact_ -but there was just something about Webster that he absolutely hated.  
Webster just sat there looking pale and shaky and Joe caught him wiping a tear away and his shoulders were shaking.

''Gee thanks for the story, can you leave me alone now. Seeing how you pretty much hate me and don't think I deserve to be alive,''

''Web I didn't mean it like that, I just-'' Joe started but Webster flew up from his seat and shoved Joe against the wall with much more force then Joe would have given him credit for and he dug his fingers deep in Joe's shoulders, hard enough to bruise him.

''Shut the fuck up Liebgott, hear me!! Just stay the hell away from me!! Oh and just for your information: I fucking hate you too!!'' Webster shouted and he let go of Joe and stormed up the stairs.

''Everything okay in here?'' Malarkey was suddenly standing next to Joe, not that he had heard him come downstairs. The ginger could slither around like a snake without anyone hearing him approach. 

''It's fine Mal,''

''Cut the bullshit Joe, they could have heard you two fighting and screaming all the way in Berlin. Why are you guys giving him such a hard time huh?'' Malarkey asked and he bumped his elbow against Joe's.

''Because he is an absolute, pompous asshole, you know that. That fucking college boy. And he didn't bust out of the hospital to help us out,''

 _''So what?_ Lot's of people didn't bust out, look you can hate on him all you want later, but tonight you two are doing this patrol together okay.  
You need to at least try to get along, or it will fuck up the morale in the platoon and I will not have that,''

''Wait I'm going on this patrol?'' Joe asked and he felt his heart pound in his chest with that familiar anxiety he always felt before they were going into combat.

''That's right, let's go, Captain Winters is giving a briefing in five,''

The patrol would be simple, Winters told them, just fifteen men who would cross the river in unstable rubber boats to retrieve some German prisoners from a house.

Webster had told Winters that he was also a translator so Joe didn't have to go on the patrol, and he thanked Webster with a wink and a grin, it was impulsive and he saw Webster look confused since they just had a fight but for some strange reason he did it anyway.

Almost all of second platoon would be going, and when they waited for nightfall Joe caught Webster cleaning his rifle. The men were silent and everyone was keeping to themselves. 

Joe watched the patrol leave with a heavy heart and wished everybody good luck. His eyes locked with Webster for a second and there was anger and disbelief bursting from both pair of eyes.

Then they were gone and Joe and the remaining soldiers could only wait.  
So he locked himself behind his MG42 and got ready to fire. Perconte and Luz were close by him, staring over the river through a pair of binoculars that they passed around. Luz didn't even crack a joke, a bad omen. 

Suddenly gunfire broke loose over the water and Joe locked his machine gun, ready to fire. ''Goddamn it, blow the fucking whistle!'' he pleaded when ages seemed to go by and nothing happened. Joe had to wait for the signal.  

Lieutenant Jones finally blew the whistle Joe started firing.  
The patrol got back in one piece-well mostly seeing how Jackson was wounded-and they rushed him into the house.

''Jackson is hit!! Luz get doc Roe!!!'' someone shouted and they heard Luz run off.

The German prisoners were screaming, Vest was trying to kill them, Shifty was freaking out, Webster was telling the Germans that they had to be quiet.  
It was madness-complete and utter chaos.

Doc Roe rushed inside with his medical bag and started examining Jackson.  
''Okay Jackson, look at the flame, you're gonna be okay,'' he hushed but when he looked defeated at Babe and Joe knew it was a lost cause. ''Come on we have to move him,'' Doc Roe urged and they carried him away on a stretcher and Jackson started screaming.

**''I don't wanna die, I don't wanna die!!!''**

Then he coughed up a puddle of blood and closed his eyes.

He was gone and they all knew it.  
Doc Roe locked his eyes with Babe and shook his head.

Joe fled upstairs, he had seen enough of his friends die, he was sick of it.  
He just could not deal with it anymore.

So he stubmled to the bedroom and laid down on Webster's bunk and took one of his books from Webster's stuff and started reading.  
It was a Dick Tracy book and Joe loved those, he was actually surprised to find it in his stuff.

He didn't think that they would have anything in common.

The men walked back upstairs and Webster looked shocked when Joe was lying on his bed but said nothing about it, instead he mumbled: _''Jackson's dead,''_

''Yeah we heard,'' Malarkey said blank and Joe knew he was thinking about Muck's death.

''But we heard you took two prisoners, good work,'' Malarkey continued stoically. The squad fell silent and went back to their business.  
Most of the men went to sleep but Webster just stood there, next to Joe's bunk-well actually his own bunk- and said nothing for a long time.

''Your in my bunk Liebgott,'' he noticed after half an hour or staring into the darkness.  
_''No shit genius,''_ Joe remarked, grinning.

''Maybe you can go back to your own bed. Unless you wanna yell at me some more. I don't really understand why you took my bed in the first place. You already took my dignity, and now you feel the need to go trough my stuff, steal my book and my fucking bed.  
So what do you want?!'' Webster snapped and they saw Babe stirring in the bed next to them, but he didn't wake up.

He was the only one sleeping in the room at the moment, the rest of the guys were scattered around the house, playing a card game or doing something else to distract themselves from Jackson's death. Webster had a point. What did he want from him? Joe didn't know that himself. So he followed his impulses and decided to go with some more rage. 

''You are coming with me-right now. Let's go college boy. I still outrank you,'' Joe ordered and he dragged Webster down the basement since he knew that it was so cold that nobody would voluntarily go down there.

''What the fuck are you doing?'' Webster gritted as they were down in the freezing basement.  
He folded his arms around his body to keep himself warm.

''Look I just wanna say something okay- and stop being a baby it's not _that_ cold,'' he said rolling his eyes when Webster didn't stop shaking.

''Well I think it is, but its probably because I haven't been to Bastogne-right?''

''You have no idea how much you enrage me do you!! Jesus Web, I just wanted to say that I acted like an asshole today and that I was totally out of line for saying those things to you. But you just piss me off all right, I just can't stand you!'' Joe panted and he saw Webster bite at his lower lip which was full, pink and slightly shiny. It was highly distracting.  

 _''I get the message Liebgott, you hate me-fine._ I will stay away from you-happy now!''

''No not really, because yeah I do kinda loathe you. But I don't want to stay away from you,'' Joe admitted and he chewed on his own lip.

''Why not?''

''Why do you think moron!'' Joe sighed and he tugged Webster up from his seat and shoved him against the wall. Webster let out a startled yelp. Joe felt the muscles tense up under his fingers. Webster had been working out. The air around them seemed to be crackling with heavy tension.  

''What more threats now?'' Webster panted through his teeth, voice barely audible.

''You really drive me nuts, you know that?'' Joe hissed and before Webster could retaliate he had closed the residual distance and pressed his lips onto Webster's.

Initially Webster froze, clearly shocked and Joe felt something mutual. However the pressure of Webster's warm lips on his made him feel a delicious mixture of dizzy and warm. So warm. He felt alive for the first time in months. As if he was an actual human being, not just cannon fodder. 

He didn't even know why he did this, but everything was just so fucked up. The world hadn't made sense in ages.   
Why did he even like this spoiled, pretty, college boy?

Did he even like him?? Luckily Webster was kissing him back pretty quickly not giving Joe much time to think if this was such a great idea and Joe felt Webster's tongue gently swirling around in his mouth, hot and wanting.

He had never even kissed a guy before, nor had he ever wanted to, but now that he was he couldn't recall what it felt like to kiss a girl. David's lips were consuming and skilled.   
Joe felt David suck on his lower lip softly and it sent shivers down his spine. A heated groan left his lips. He needed more, of whatever this was. More pressure between their bodies, more of David's tender fingers through his hair, more of those luscious gasps he let out. 

He possessively laced his fingers trough David's soft brown curls, pulling him in impossibly close and moaned when he felt David deepen the kiss.

Then David bit his lip, just like that, completely out of the blue. Not exactly gentle either. His eyes flew open. 

Joe let an angry gasp escape his lips but David gave him no time to escape his grasp, he merely suckled on the bleeding lip hard to clear the blood off it. It was a confusing gesture that made Joe's head go haywire. 

All of the sudden, David let Joe go and looked almost shyly at him.

They just stared at each other blank and Joe took David's hand in his own, which was slightly damp, warm and comforting and he entwined their fingers together.  
_''I-uh-''_ Joe mumbled but he couldn't find any words.  
What was there to say?

''This was a mistake Joe, just leave me alone please, don't come near me again,'' David panted as he took his hand out of Joe's tight grasp. His broad shoulders were going up and down rapidly and Joe felt shocked sensations coursing through his system.

''What? Why? You can't tell me you didn't enjoy that?''

''No because you supposedly hate me, so no I didn't enjoy it. So _please_ just leave me alone,''

''I don't hate you!!'' Joe objected but David turned around and flew back up the stairs.

Joe sat down on his chair completely confused and defeated.  
What the fuck had he gotten himself into now?

It wasn't enough that he had to live trough a war, now he had to live with this kind of shit.  
And the worst thing was that he actually had _loved_ kissing David.

He had not hated it, he had loved it, the feeling of his warm lips onto his. It had been the warmest he had felt in months. 

_Joe was so fucked up._

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

_TBC......._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please review guys! <3


	2. Sergeants know best.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group moves into Germany and they discover the camp. 
> 
> It breaks Joe.

_Hagenau 1945._

 

 

 

The day after Jackson died and Joe had kissed David he decided to distract himself by visiting sergeant Lipton in the OP.  
He was still lying on a couch covered under a pile of blankets since the pneumonia was still pretty bad.

''Morning Lip, how ya feeling?'' Joe asked and he sat down next to his first sergeant, who would soon be promoted to Lieutenant. His face was still pale as a ghost and Bastogne had taken its toll on their beloved sergeant. If he had been hit with Luz in that foxhole, the day that Muck and Penkala died Joe was convinced that Easy would have fallen apart. Lip was the glue to their company. 

''All right Joe, how are you?''

''I'm fine Lip, I just wanted to check on you and then I will stop by Luz to snatch a Hershey bar from him,'' Joe grinned and he sat down next to Lipton and patted his back when Lipton coughed intensely. ''G-good luck with that,'' Lipton stuttered, a sly grin on his face. He was referring to stealing chocolate away from Luz' hawk eyes. 

''You want some water?'' he asked as he fished out his canteen. Lipton accepted it eagerly and drank until the frantic coughs had subsided. 

''Jesus Christ, would you get t _he fuck_ back into that bed?? I didn't give you permission to leave it!'' Captain Speirs had came out of nowhere and was hovering behind the couch Lipton was lying on. His arms folded together sternly. 

''Yessir, just trying to make myself useful that's all,''

''You are only useful to me when your healthy Lipton, so get your ass back into that bed. Liebgott, take this stubborn first Sergeant of yours back to his fucking bed, first room to the left, upstairs,'' he ordered.

Joe knew better than to get tangled into an argument with Speirs so he hauled Lipton off the couch.

''Come on buddy, I got ya, _Jesus you're heavy Lip,''_ Joe complained when he draped Liptons arm around his shoulders and moved him up the stairs.

''Only because you're so skinny Joe- Popeye is the only one who weighs-less-then you do,''  

Joe snorted amused.

''Good point, come on bud, almost there,'' he said panting as he entered the bedroom and dumped Lipton- _not so gently_ -on his bed.  
''Thanks for the smooth landing boy,'' Lipton growled. He crawled under the covers and Joe handed him some water.

''Hey Joe?'' he asked after a comfortable silence where Joe sat on a chair by the bed.  
''What is it Lip?''

''What's going on with you and Webster?''  
Joe had just taken a sip of water from his canteen and almost choked to death on it due to Lipton's comment.

''Whoa easy boy, just breathe, don't choke out on me, that is suppose to be _my_ job now, seeing how I'm the one with the pneumonia,'' Lipton joked and he patted Joe on his back, frowning concerned.

''Why would- there be anything- with me and Webster?'' Joe said evasively.  
Did Lipton know something about what had happened?

''Oh well Malark said you two had a huge fight in the basement and then according to Luz you two made up in a _very adorable_ way,'' Lipton winked suggestively.

Joe however nearly dropped from his seat.

How the fuck did George Luz know that they had kissed?

''Excuse me?'' he said nonchalant like Lipton was full of shit.  
''I have no idea what you're talking about,'' he shrugged nervously.

''Oh yeah you do, I'm talking about you and Web apparently doing it in the basement yesterday,'' there was not even a hint of judgement or accusation in Lip's voice. 

Lipton was not the kind of person who liked to brag or make people feel bad.  
He would definitely never judge him if he admitted it was true.

Besides, he had a feeling that he couldn't deny this shit if he wanted to.  
''Oh and how would Luz know this?'' Joe could not lie to Lipton, the man deserved better from him.

After all he had done for the platoon, good old Lip did not deserve his _own_ men lying to him.

''He saw you two in the basement, look I'm not judging here okay. I may not understand much about this kind of stuff since I'm married to a woman, but I want to help you guys. Just because your gay doesn't mean-'' he started but Joe's eyes went wide and he cut him off.

''Whoa hold up Lip, I'm not-gay. I'm not a queer okay!'' he whispered defensively, carefully checking if nobody was around to overhear them.

Lip was not that easily swayed though. ''Look Joe I don't care what you are, maybe you just like this one guy,''

''I don't even like him, I kind of despise Web,''

''Clearly, since I always kiss the people I hate the most too,'' Lipton said sarcastically.

''It's just complicated okay, and it's not anybody's business,'' Joe said defensively and Lipton's lips curled up. 

''You're right, it's not. That is precisely why I'm bringing it up _now,_ so you know to be more careful in the future with Webster,''

''Oh don't worry Lip, it ain't ever gonna happen again. We had a huge fight afterward and he wants me to leave him alone anyway so don't worry, this was a one time thing,'' Joe shrugged and Lipton looked concerned and he placed his hand on Joe's arm.

''But you don't wanna leave him alone do you? Despite everything you still wanna be around him, even when you _''hate''_ him,'' Lipton asked sharp.

''Yeah but it doesn't seem to matter what I want, he wants his space so he can have it.  
I can't always get what I want, and by the way: we can't ever be a thing anyway so why bother,'' Joe sighed heavily and he lit a cigarette, then he remembered that Lip had a pneumonia and that smoking inside the house would probably not be the smartest thing to do so he put it out.

''Why not?'' Lipton simply asked and Joe had no easy answer to this question.

''Come on Lip, you're not an idiot. Hell we don't live in a world where guys can live together or anything. And besides: _he hates me, or I hate him, whatever._  
It doesn't matter, it's still war, we can still die on each other anyway,'' Joe heard how mechanical his voice was sounding. How formal and rational.

He also saw that Lip was looking right through it. He knew them all far too well. That was what made him such a great sergeant, he genuinely cared for his men. Spent time investing in their qualities, their personalities. Joe was certain he could recognize all of them just by the way they walked or through the shape or their silhouette. 

''The war is almost over Joe, chances are pretty good of both of you rotating home, maybe this is why he is pulling away from you. He could be thinking the same thing as you. That you don't stand a chance, so he doesn't want to get close to you only to lose you forever,'' Lipton suggested and Joe pondered on that a while.

''Hey Lip, are you- _oh sorry guys_ -I'll come back later huh,'' Luz said from the hallway and his brown eyes were glistering and Joe could tell he had cried or was about to cry some more.

''Hey Luz, nah its okay, I will leave, hang in there Lip, hope you feel better soon and thanks for the talk,'' Joe smiled and he squeezed Lipton's hand.

''Yeah boy, any time,''

''You okay Lip? Speirs said you've been coughing a lot more,'' Joe heard Luz say when he left the room, he turned his ear toward the voices, even though he wasn't sure why he did it.

''Yeah fine George, I'm just a little cold, even with all the blankets,'' Lipton said his teeth clattering.  
Luz moved on the bed, laid down on the covers and curled up behind Lipton, wrapping his arm around Lipton's shaky body.

''Thanks George,''  
''Sure, so what was Joe doing here?''

''I dunno, he came to see me today to check up on me-I guess-and I told him that you saw him and Web kissing,''

Joe heard Luz sigh and he moved his ear closer toward the noise, his heart pounding in his chest.  
''Fuck Lip, you shouldn't have done that, you naughty bastard,'' George smirked and just when Joe peeked around the corner he saw George press a tender kiss to Lipton's cheek.

Joe felt frozen solid on the spot, not able to keep his eyes off his two sergeants.  
''Oh look what we have here,'' George grinned when he spotted Joe's face in the doorway.

 _''Eavesdrop much Liebgott?''_ Lipton inquired.  

Joe's jaw faltered when he saw Lipton blatantly and shamelessly press a kiss to George's neck, right above his collarbone. It wasn't a huge gesture for most people but for Lipton it was. He was always quite timid and controlled, seeing him display affection toward another man, so openly seemed completely out of character. Not to mention that Lipton was married-to a woman. 

''Uh do you seriously wanna lecture _me_ on that? Seeing how Luz here did the same to me last night?'' Joe snapped when he had finally found his voice back-sort off.

''Good point,'' Luz admitted with his huge grin.

''Why the hell didn't you tell me about this just now Lip?? You went all _saint-like_ on me, saying how you're married and all that shit and now you're dating this lunatic here or something?!'' Joe heard the accusation in his voice and cursed it silently. 

''We are _not_ dating Joe, it's just-complicated okay.  
Look we will keep your little secret if you keep ours,'' Luz argued and Liebgott nodded.

''Fine it's a deal, but if you two rat on me, there will be repercussions. Got it?'' he snapped angrily, knowing that he really could not talk to his superior officers like that, but somehow the two men just nodded and he got out of the room as quickly as he could.

A few weeks later, as the first glimpse of spring was upon them, easy company drove into Germany.  
The temperature was finally rising and it was actually comfortable to be outside.

Liebgott's family was from Germany but had fled it years ago when the first world war started.  
He found his native country extremely beautiful, something that surprised him a lot.

The people were nice too. Straight forward, sturdy and hard working.

He thought he would hate them but he didn't.  
_Not yet anyway._

Until they discovered the camp at Lansberg.  
Perconte, Bull and Luz had found it on a patrol and Liebgott and Webster were rushed to it with the rest of the platoon to help out.

Joe had not talked to Webster much, they had come to a mild form of necessary ignorance toward each other and they only spoke or hung out when ordered to.  
It had not been easy for Joe, as Luz often pointed out to him that he was staring at Webster, but Joe always snapped back with Luz staring at Lipton too.

The truck arrived at the camp and Joe felt a lump form in his throat.  
He saw a huge barbed wired fence and many big barracks in the middle of the camp.

And at the fence there were the skinniest men he had ever seen in his life, and he could know it seeing how he barely weighed over a hundred and twenty pounds.

The poor men were wearing striped uniforms and most of them were pale and sobbing in tears.  
_''You okay Joe?''_ he heard Webster say from behind him and he felt his hand rest on his shoulder.

''No not really,''

''Major Winters wants us up front, but I can go if you don't wanna do it.  
I can translate the stuff too, you don't have to do this,'' Webster offered and Joe looked him into his gorgeous blue eyes and smiled a little.

''Nah it's okay, I will go too, we will do it together,''

They walked to Major Winters who was standing there with Speirs and his buddy Captain Nixon and they were looking shocked and pale.

Joe started talking to one of the prisoners and found out that the guards had left this morning, burning a few barracks in the process, shooting as many prisoners as they could.  
These people were not criminals, just doctors, clerks, Polish, gypsies, and oh god the last word that came out of the prisoners mouth: _Juden._

''Joe?'' Major Winters asked when Joe stayed silent at the last word.  
_''They are Jews sir,''_ David helped out and he noticed the tears glistering in Joe's eyes.

''Breathe,'' he hissed in Joe's ear and he pressed his shoulders against his when Major Winters and his men had taken off. He folded his warm hand around Joe's and squeezed it tight. The pressure of it was soothing and Joe couldn't deny that he had missed having David this close to him. 

''You gotta breathe Joe, all you gotta do is breathe,'' he soothed and Joe pressed his head against David's shoulder a little and felt tears drop on the uniform.  
''They are Jews Web, they are _my_ people!!'' Joe cried and his whole body was trembling from anger and disbelief.

''I know, I know.  _I'm so sorry,''_ Webster said and his voice was shaking.  
He wrapped his arm around Joe and led him back to the truck and put him down.

''You don't need to see this.  
Just stay here, I will go in to translate,''

''But what if Major Winters calls for me?'' Joe protested weakly.

''I don't care what he wants, _you stay here!_  
I will tell him to leave you alone, he will understand, I will be back soon okay,'' Webster said and he squeezed Joe's hand tight.

Then he was gone and Joe saw him walk off with Luz and they were talking to a bunch of prisoners.  
Joe closed his eyes and covered his ears to block all the wailing sounds and misery cries of his people.

Then he felt someone tap his back and he looked up into Malarkey's eyes.  
''Major Winters wants you up front Joe,'' Malarkey said and his eyes were red and puffy.

''Well actually Webster told me to stay put as he offered to do the translating for me,'' Joe protested and Malarkey nodded.

''I know, but he and Lesniewski have been called off with Luz and Captain Speirs to another camp nearby to do some translating, so you are the only one we have left.  
So let's go,'' Malarkey ordered and Joe sighed heavily and followed his Sergeant.

''Sir you asked for me?'' Joe asked when he saw Major Winters standing at the edge of the camp, talking to a doctor.

''Ah yes look I'm very sorry that I have to ask this from you Joe but I have no choice. We need to lock these people back up, since they will eat themselves to death if we keep feeding them now.  
So I need you to tell them that we have to lock them back up for a little while, maybe two nights, till we can arrange some better facilities for them,''

Joe felt his heart sink into his shoes and his face fell. ''I can't tell them that sir, look with all due respect but they are jews- like-like me.  
I can't do this sir, _please don't make me do this,''_ Joe begged and Major Winters looked at him with his clear blue eyes and his lips twitched sympathetically.

''I'm sorry Joe, _but you've got to,''_

''All right but if I do this than I want something from you sir,'' Joe negotiated and Nixon looked offended.

''How dare you-'' he snapped but Winters was calm.

''No Nix, it's okay, he has the right to ask something in return from me, this is a pretty unfair thing I'm demanding,''

''Didn't sound to me like he _asked_ you for anything, sounded more like a demand to me,'' Nixon shrugged but he kept his mouth shut at the harsh look that Winters shot him.

''What do you want Joe?'' Winters asked and Joe thought about it long and hard.

''Well first of all, I wanna be left alone for the rest of the day, _no orders._ And I never wanna have to come here again, those are my terms,''

''That is fine, you have yourself a deal, now gather yourself. Get up there and do your job, when you're ready,'' Winters said friendly and Joe sighed heavily and breathed in and out a few times.

 _One, two, three, breathe Joe, just keep breathing,_ he said to himself.

He missed Webster and he hated him for leaving him alone again, even though he knew he had orders he couldn't do anything about.

Oh how he wished that Webster was here to do this job instead of him.

Joe tried to think about something happy to give himself some strength but he could not think of anything that was even remotely good enough to block out the sights he had just endured.   
Then Webster's blue eyes popped into his head, and the way he had felt when Webster had kissed him and he felt a little more calm and secure.

He walked to the truck and let Lipton pull him onto it and he called for the attention of his people.  
Then he started telling them in German that they had to be locked back up for their safety. He immediately saw the change in their eyes, it turned from hopeful to desperation.

They started crying and objecting and Joe felt tears stream down his cheeks.

He explained that it was for their own good, that they had no choice but all the wailing made him sick and he sat down in the truck and started sobbing.  
Lipton placed his hand on his shoulder and mumbled something about how he had done a good job.

 _What the fuck did he know?_  
Lipton didn't even understand German.

''I wanna go back to barracks now Lip, please take me back,'' Joe pleaded and Lipton obeyed.

''All right, I will get a jeep,'' he said and he took Joe back as quickly as he could.

Joe walked back into their German house and laid down on his bunk.

''You shouldn't be alone right now Joe, someone should be here to watch over you. I can stay with you if you want,'' Lipton offered but Joe shook his head.

''Nah it's okay Lip, I wanna be alone.  
I won't do anything stupid, I promise. I just _need_ to be alone,''

Lipton realized that he had to do what Joe asked and he left the room, but he didn't leave the house.  
He just sat down on the porch and started crying, Joe saw it from the window.

He collapsed onto his bed and could not stop crying. A part of him loathed it to be alone right now, even though he had specifically asked for it.  
He still sort of wished that Webster was here to hold him tight and calm him down.

He heard the front door open and heard some of his friends moving around in the kitchen.

Then there was a knock on his door.  
_**''Go away!!''**_ Joe yelled but whoever it was opened the damn door anyway. ''I said go-'' Joe looked up and saw Webster stand in the doorway. ''Oh it's you,'' was all Joe could muster to say and Webster nodded.

''Can I come in?'' he asked and Joe heard that his voice was shaking.

''I guess,'' Joe shrugged and he wiped his cheeks with his sleeve.  
Webster sat down on Joe's bed and took his hand.

Joe felt calmer instantly and smiled a little.  
''I'm so sorry I wasn't here today, I wanted to stay and do all the translating but then they ordered me off to another fucking camp like this.  
It was a camp filled with women and kids, it was horrible Joe,'' Webster panted, his face twisted with disgust and anguish. The redness in his eyes betrayed that he had been crying recently. 

 **''You fucking kidding me?**   _ **Women and kids??''**_  Joe spat angrily.

''Yeah it was fucking terrible, _but Luz adopted a cute kid though, his name is Muchnik,''_  
''He what?'' Joe asked his jaw dropping to the floor.

''Yeah he took one home with him, he is in the other room right now, dressing him up in army clothes with Lip.  
He says he is going to take him home to Rhode Island. Luz likes the kid, he is so cheerful, which is a bit disturbing considering the circumstances in which we found him, but anyway he has big brown eyes and a smile to die for,'' Webster grinned and Joe felt a smile curl on his lips. He knew Web was only trying to make him feel better and surprisingly, with this story it worked. He could literally see itself unfolding in his head. 

''Wait why are you even here right now?  
_In my room I mean?''_ Joe wanted to know.

Webster blushed slightly, looking uncomfortable. ''Uh-well Lip said that I should go check on you.  
He said that he and Luz knew about us kissing-and that I was probably the only one that you wanted to have near you right now,''

 _''Fucking meddling Sergeants,''_ Joe spat.  
''Did you know that they knew about us kissing?''

''Yeah I knew, they have known about that for a long time now,''

''Well why didn't you tell _me_  about that?'' Webster asked surprised. ''Gee I don't know. Maybe because we haven't talked at all after what happened David,'' Joe smiled when he realized that it was he first time he had used his first name.  
''I know, that's because you hate me, and you regret what happened,'' David concluded and Joe felt more tears welling up in his eyes.

''Will you cut it out!!   
I don't hate you!! _You damned idiot!!! Fucking hell._ I care about you way too fucking much to hate you!!'' Joe shouted and David's jaw dropped.

''You do?'' David asked and Joe rolled his eyes, praying to whatever god he believed in to grant him some patience.

''I thought you were fucking smart Web but I guess going to Harvard didn't teach you much about actual life huh?''

David shrugged his shoulders. ''I guess not,''

''Look I don't hate you! Today was the most crappy day of my entire life, I had to tell my people that they should be locked back up in that hellhole.  
I had to do that cause you were not there, not that it was your fault-I know. But I had to do this and all I wanted was to have you near me, for support.  
To calm me down. Because you have that affect on me Web, you calm me down and you bring out the other side in me.  
The better one, and I don't wanna spend another day ignoring you or having this weird-we act like we hate each other-bond. We don't hate each other Web, you like me and shockingly, I actually find myself warming up to you.  
And I don't know how we are going to end up and yeah this is complicated and fucking with my head and probably yours too, _but I need you._  
I need to be around you even when we fight so much, and I need you to want _me_ too,'' Joe stated and David looked at him like he was an interesting puzzle to solve.

 _''I do need you Joe, but I'm not sure if I want you,''_ David said hesitating.

Joe felt his heart shatter into countless pieces. ''Why not?'' he spat and he lit a cigarette, folded his pillow behind his head and acted as careless as he could.

He was fighting against his tears, but there was no way he would cry in front of this bastard.

''Do I have to say it? Well because you and I don't make any sense Joe, it is just not logical.  _Why would I want you?_ You and me have nothing in common, we live in opposite states, we socialize with different people, you are loud and outgoing, I'm quiet and enjoy being alone.  
On what planet would we make any sense?'' David asked and Joe twirled the cigarette in his mouth and pondered on it a while.

''We don't make sense, I know you're right about that. But we _do_ have stuff in common, we both like to read the same books. And when it comes down to shit like this, it's not about what is logical or makes sense. It's about what you _feel_ for someone.  
And I do feel a lot for you, and I know you feel the same.  
You are just too rational to admit it to me,'' Joe said and David's lips twitched a little.

''True Joe, so move over,'' he said and Joe looked up surprised by the change of topic.

''Why?''

''Because I wanna be here for you, so move your ass.'' David ordered and Joe was far too baffled to object and he curled up his side and felt David's arms come around his tired body.

He sighed heavily and closed his eyes when he felt David's face in his neck, the warm breath slowly caressing the hairs in his neck, giving him goosebumps.

They laid there in a comfortable silence the entire night and after a while Joe finally fell asleep, forgetting about the horrors he had seen that day, here with David next to him he finally felt safe.  
When he woke up David was still there, it made him feel like home.

 

A few weeks later they moved into Austria, which was even more gorgeous than Germany had been.  

Joe had found out via an Intelligence officer that there was a German commandant from the camp they had liberated living in a small house on the mountain top.

So he drove up there with David and Skinny Sisk to interrogate the man.  
The war had been over for a little while now but Joe was still looking for someone to punish.

''I fucking _hate_ this Lieb,'' David said when they were sitting in the jeep on the top of the green mountain, looking at the tiny wooden cabin below.

''Jesus Christ! Let's go guys,'' Joe said and he got out and saw David rush up next to him.

''What if this guy is just a soldier like you and me? What is he is just an officer without any ties to the SS?  _What if he is innocent?''_ David stalked Joe with stupid questions the entire walk to the cabin.

''You know what? What if he is a fucking Nazi Commandant of a fucking slave camp?'' Joe snapped back.

''Which one? Which camp??  _You don't have any proof!!''_ David said and Joe knew that was true but he would never admit that out loud.

So he went in for a low blow, because old habits died hard. ''Were you at Landsberg?''

The resentment in David's eyes was evident now. This comment was below the belt. David had spent the entire night comforting him after Landsberg, of course Joe remembered that. David's voice was low, threatening but Joe heard the quiver. ''You know I was,''

''You think this guy is just a soldier like you and me?  
A fucking innocent officer?'' Joe asked looking aggravated. Skinny was stepping behind them, silent as death but when Joe's eyes landed on him, he reminded him of a child witnessing his parents fight. Skinny was going to stay far away from this argument, as the smart boy he was. 

David however didn't stop his relentless, tiring interrogation. ''Is this a personal thing Joe?'' 

''What?'' he asked, shocked. For he knew that David was really close to the truth.

''This is personal to you right?''

''Nah it's not personal, it's a goddamn order!'' Joe argued back.

''Does Major Winters know about this?''

''That doesn't matter,'' Joe shrugged.  
''The fuck it doesn't!!''

Joe entered the house ignoring David's objections and he placed the gun toward the older German man, questioning him about how he had been the commandant of the slave camp.  
The pig denied it of course and he placed is gun against the bastards temple.

Webster left the cabin looking furious but Joe didn't care about him anymore, this wasn't about him anyway.  
_This was about pure, sweet revenge_.

Skinny also fled the room and Joe punched the swine in his face, but then at a certain point he lost his focus and the older man fled his house, running for his life.  
Joe rushed out of the cabin and yelled to Webster to shoot him but he refused.

Skinny took over and shot the German in the back of his head.

Joe felt a huge amount of satisfaction in his stomach and he felt like he had done his people a little bit of justice for killing one of their torturers.  
To Joe it didn't matter if the man had been innocent or not.

They walked back to the jeep in silence and when Joe drove off he started talking.  
''Officers don't run,'' he said to Webster who was sitting next to him.

''The war is over, _everybody_ would run,'' Webster countered and Joe had no answer to that.

That night Joe was twisting and turning around in his bed, feeling restless and alone.  
David was lying across the room in his bed, and he seemed to be sleeping, but Joe knew he could fake sleep better then anyone.

So he got up and laid down next to him and cupped David's face with his hand.

He felt David press his forehead against his own and his warm arms came over his sides.  
''I'm sorry about today,'' David said and he kissed Joe's cheek.

''I know, _I'm sorry too._ I was an asshole, looking for revenge,'' Joe sighed and he entwined his fingers with David's.

''So I heard Major Winters says that we will move off the line soon, we are going home soon Joe,'' David whispered and he kissed Joe's other cheek.  
''So what does that mean for us,'' Joe asked insecure.

''Is this over then?'' he added and Webster sighed heavily.

 _''Was it ever even a real thing Joe?_ It has to be over, there is no way we can stay together after this, if we were ever even together,''

Joe felt his heart break and there were tears in his eyes.

He was glad that Webster could not see those.  
''So I guess this is goodbye then,'' he simply said, swallowing hard.

''I guess so,''  
David smiled and placed his lips onto Joe's without any warning.

Joe wrapped his arms around David tighter, deepening the kiss hungrily.  
Man he had missed him, he had missed his lips onto his own.

He needed David so much, it physically hurt him to think about saying goodbye to him.

Even though they didn't make sense at all, Joe cared about David.  
_A part of him probably even loved him._

_Joe was totally screwed._

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

_TBC......._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please review guys, next chapter will be up soon I hope. 
> 
> But my inspiration is kind of low lately so I'm not promising anything.
> 
> And yes I kind of shipped Luz and Lipton, I got hooked onto them after the Bastogne episodes.  
> I thought they were kind of cute together.


	3. Holding on, and letting go.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The war is over and Joe and David go their separate ways.  
> But now what?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the last chapter of this story and I'm kind of relieved its done, since I wasn't producing any stories thanks to a huge amount of writers block. 
> 
> I'm seriously in love with the Luz/Lipton pairing so I made that a little more serious.  
> I know its not realistic and all that, since Webster died at sea and that did not happen in my story. 
> 
> I'm fairly happy about it, I hope you like it too.

_Austria 1945._

 

 

 

''Joe will you translate something for me?'' Luz's insistent voice cut through the clear, crisp mountain air.

Joe was resting comfortably on his back, cradled by the warm grass of the Alps, enjoying a little light sunbathing in the early spring sunshine.

He groaned aggravated and sat up to fixate on Luz.

''What is it _now_ George?'' he grumbled. Luz was smirking sheepishly at him, that boyish smile deep and sincere and Joe had already forgotten his annoyance. That was the way it was with Luz, you couldn't stay mad at him. You loved him regardless.   
The young boy he had brought back from the camps, Muchnik, was standing next to him in an oversized soldiers uniform, twiddling with his fingers. He was barely twelve years old and had grown some fat back on his bones over the past few weeks.

Joe knew that the kid only spoke German so he and David had to play translator _all_ fucking day long.

Joe didn't like to be around the boy, not that he was a bad kid, on the contrary, he was bloody amazing to be honest.  
But Muchnik kept reminding Joe of all the horrors he had seen that dreadful day in the concentration camp. Seeing him brought everything back to him. He still had nightmares about that day and probably would keep them for life. 

So he usually let David deal with the translating but he wasn't here since he had been called off by Captain Speirs to search for a brain surgeon to save Sergeant Grant's life. Sergeant Grant had been shot in the head by an American replacement last night and it looked pretty grim for him. No one in the company had slept last night, everyone had been sick with worry. Chuck was an amazing man, losing him would be a blow to the overall morale. The Taccoa men had already lost far too much, they couldn't afford it to lose Chuck too.  

''Well I wanted to let him know that he is going to live with me when we get home all right? Can you tell him that?'' Luz mused. 

Joe's lip twitched up. He and David had taught Muchnik some basic English words like: _yes, hello, no, thank you and Currahee_ , but Joe wished that Luz would just learn some freaking German already so he could stop hanging around the kid.

''We already told him that like _twenty times_ remember?'' Joe snorted. When he saw Lipton approaching he added in German: _''look Muchnik, daddy is home!''_  
''What did you just say to him?'' Lipton and Luz asked simultaneously.

''Nothing I just told him that his daddy was home now, since Luz is clearly the _mommy_ between the two of you. So are you two adopting him after the war? Going to move into a nice big house, adopting all sorts of babies? Drinking cool aid on a big ass porch while Mal babysits your kids,'' Joe loved to tease them about their relationship, knowing full well how uncomfortable it made Lipton feel. 

Luz was gazing at him, brown eyes huge and startled. Lipton's face however had turned quite grim and cranky.

''Take him back to regiment George, me and _daddy_ are going to have a little chat,'' Joe ordered. To his surprise he noticed that George did not even protested, he simply wrapped his arm around Muchnik's shoulder and walked away.

''Sit down Lip,'' Joe offered.

Lipton took his jacket off and folded it up neatly and placed it on the grass and sat down on it. ''You know he loves the shit out of you right?'' Joe started on the offensive, that had always been his strength.

He had never been one to sugarcoat shit, he just told people the truth, whether they liked it or not.  
Of course they usually didn't like to hear it. No one cared much for the truth. 

Lipton sighed heavily and his blue eyes were shiny. ''No he doesn't love me, and I don't love him Joe. Look, I'm married okay, I can't just leave my wife-I love her-and well we only sort of got together so he could help me sleep better. You know that I was awake pretty much every night during Bastogne, but when George cuddled up to me after that barrage that killed Muck and Penkala, I finally fell asleep for a bit.  
But that doesn't mean anything- _does it?''_  

Lip was looking so out of character insecure that it made Joe's stomach flip. Lip was the most balanced and calm guy he knew. He kept them safe, was their voice of reason. Seeing him so unhinged was unsettling. 

''Well maybe not but I see the way he looks at you and how you look at him Lip, you do love him.  _Don't you dare lie to me._ So what are you going to do when we get back home? Just keep living the lie? Doesn't your wife deserve better then thinking that the man she loves is still the same man whilst he is actually in love with somebody else?'' Joe deadpanned. Lipton stayed quiet for a while after these words.

''You talk too much Joe-way too fucking much,'' he eventually grinned and Joe nudged his ribs gently.  
''We all have our vices,''

''But what about you and Web? I mean it's easy judging me and all that, but what are you guys going to do after the war?'' Lipton asked and Joe snorted.

''No, no, don't go turning the tables on me Lip, we were talking about _you_  now, not me!''

''Well now we're talking about you two, I mean I heard that you are not really hanging out much anymore,'' Lipton said carefully checking the surroundings for other curious ears popping up.

''Who told you- _oh never mind_ -Web probably told your _boyfriend_ everything right?'' Joe grimaced. He lit another smoke, this conversation was driving him up the walls and Lip was turning the tables on him faster than he would have liked. 

''Yeah he did, but I don't get why you two can't work out later. I mean none of you are married or something,''

''But Web doesn't want me, considering that I never went to college and we don't run around in the same circles of society.  
He is probably embarrassed to bring any guy home, let alone a Jewish cab driving, part-time barber from San Francisco. I gotta feeling his family won't really like it if he would do something like that,'' Joe had been fearing this for weeks now and finally saying the words only made the palpable knot in his stomach even tighter with dread. 

He and David had been avoiding each other since their last kiss mostly because they both knew it was almost time to say goodbye and neither one of them thought it was a smart idea to get even closer to each other now when it was pretty much over anyway.  
But he missed his company more than he would like to admit.

Joe felt really lonely without David around himself even though he had a love/hate relationship with him.

''Well if you never try then you will never know Joe,'' Lipton said looking friendly.

Joe shoved him. ''Well I could tell you the same thing,''

''It's not the same thing Joe, trust me it's not. But come on lets go back to barracks, see if Sergeant Grant made it,''

''Of course not Lip, he got shot in the _fucking head!_ There is no coming back from that buddy,'' Joe said and he felt tears prickle in his eyes.  
He had loved Chuck Grant as much as they all had and the idea of not seeing him sit at their dinner table, sipping at some coffee ate at his heart.  

''Joe people can make their way back from anything,'' Lipton stated solemnly. 

When they arrived back in the states a few weeks later ( with Chuck Grant who had made it thanks to the work of a genius German brain surgeon ) it was finally time to say goodbye.

The boat had docked in New York and Joe sighed when he saw everybody wander of into various directions.

Joe was glad that the war had also ended on the Pacific islands, seeing as how word had gotten out that Easy would be shipped there too.  
He had enough of war and hoped to never be forced to put his uniform on.

He was glad to be home, to feel American soil beneath his feet, but he knew he had a long journey ahead of himself considering that he had to take a train back to San Francisco. It would be weeks until he got home.   
He also knew that David was already back in his home state, since he was living in New York.

Saying goodbye to his friends in Easy would be the hardest thing Joe ever had to do in his entire life, even harder then telling the Jewish prisoners to go back into their camp. For every man he had served with was closer to him than his own family was.

They were all his brothers, all a piece of him.  
Even the replacements had become brothers to him.

He loved all of them, from Babe Heffron to Malarkey, from Bull to Joe Toye.  
Their bond was so deep, so intense that he knew nothing could ever compare to that again.

Not even his own, flesh and blood family.  
He could never tell them about the things he had seen and endured because they would never be able to understand it.

He saw his friends saying farewell to each other left and right to him and he swallowed hard.  
Luz was hugging Perconte tight and was writing down addresses of everybody cause he wanted to write to all his friends.

Lipton was saluting Speirs, Winters and Nixon and hugged Joe briefly and whispered something in his ear: ''Never give up on the things you want Joe, follow your dreams, do whatever you want, don't ever give up,''

When he released him he wandered to Luz and Muchnik.

The boy would be going home with Luz and Joe saw Lipton hug the kid, causing the brown haired boy to tear up as he held Lipton tight.  
''Don't worry buddy we will meet again soon okay, promise,'' Lipton promised and he kissed the child on the top of his head.  
David was standing next to them and translated it for Muchnik and the warm brown eyes lit up in enjoyment.

He had a little red note book in his hands and Joe knew he had done the same as Luz and had wrote down everybody's addresses and home numbers.  
David said goodbye to the two men and the kid and he took Joe's arm, dragged him to a janitors closet in the train station and he collected Joe in his arms and placed his forehead on his shoulder.

''David what the fuck?'' Joe exasperated. He was already fighting his tears and he drilled his fingers deep in David's waist.  
David's voice was dangerously thin and coarse. ''What? I need to say goodbye to you don't I?''

''And a janitors closet is the way to go?'' Joe knew he was smiling but the overall sense of loss consumed him.

''Well at least in here I can do this,'' David smiled and he cupped Joe's face with his hands and kissed him on the lips without any warning whatsoever.  
Joe felt the familiar warm feeling spread trough his whole body and soul and he groaned and deepened the kiss quickly.

_Fuck why had he missed him so much?_

And why had he not even realized how much he had longed for him until now?  
Why had they been so distant these last few weeks?  
What was going to happen to them now?

Before Joe could think however the moment was over.  
David let him go and kissed his cheeks and his forehead and wanted to leave the closet.

''Whoa college boy! What the fuck are you doing?! You can't just do this and then walk out on me!!'' Joe shouted and he locked David in his arms and saw that David started crying softly.

''Yes I can, I will write to you Joe,'' David ensured him as he wrestled himself out of Joe's arms.  
''But you don't have my address!

 _ **You didn't write it down!''**_ Joe shouted but David was already gone.

Joe bursted out of the closet but a huge load of soldiers had just arrived so David was nowhere to be seen.

 _Luz, a voice inside of him said._ Luz had written down every members address so he needed to find him so that he could write to David.

He searched trough the soldiers and found Johnny Martin and Bull Randleman standing on the train station.  
''Hey guys, you seen Luz?'' he asked and Johnny shook his head.

''Nah he already boarded a train Joe, sorry,''

Joe felt his heart shatter into a thousand pieces but he realized that this thing was over, it had to be.  
David obviously wanted it to be like this.

The day Joe got back into his own house he bought a cat.  
He picked it up at the pound and it was big, brown and blue eyed and he called it after Skip. The animal loved to cuddle and never left his lap unless Joe made him.   
The day after that he visited his family and they were all thrilled to see him.

While it was great to see them, he was not feeling well at all, he felt incomplete somehow. Hollow. Empty.   
Without his friends surrounding him, without David.

He got back to driving his cab like nothing had ever happened. As if the entire war had been nothing more than a bad dream.

Weeks went by, months passed quietly and he had gotten letters from Luz who had legally adopted Muchnik and was now living on his own in Rhode Island.  
He had gotten David's address from Luz and wrote him a letter but heard nothing back.

Months had turned into years and before he knew it, the war had been over for three years.  
He had never married anyone since it just did not feel right to lead some poor girl on for nothing.

His family was pushing him a little but after a while they left him alone.

He was enjoying a book on his favorite white couch with Skip on his lap when there was a knock on his door.  
It was just a normal saturday afternoon and he was enjoying the view from his house since he was looking out on the ocean.

He got up from the couch with Skip in his arms, since Skip hated to be pulled off his lap and demanded to be carried around the house like some prince, and he opened the door.

What he saw however was _not_ what he expected.

David fucking Webster was standing in his doorway, looking undeniably gorgeous, his hair a tad long and bouncing on his shoulders, his blue eyes fierce and smiley and he had a big backpack on his shoulders.

''Hi Joe,'' the fucking bastard dared to say, as if he had not ignored him for the past three years.

''Hi Joe?? Is that the best you can do after three years???'' Joe spat angrily and Skip was heavy in his arms, but he liked the weight. It was comforting.

''Well I could say: _nice cat,''_ David said awkwardly, in a poor attempt to make a joke to diffuse the tension.  
''Yeah I know, his name is Skip,''

''That's a great name,''

''What the _fuck_ are you doing here Webster?'' Joe asked and he still refused to invite David into his house or acknowledge that he knew his first name.

''Well I've been traveling trough the States to meet up with some old friends from Easy and well Luz and Lip convinced me to visit you,'' David said and he gnawed on his full lower lip.

It was distracting Joe intensely and all he wanted to do was suck on that fucking lip.  
But he shoved that thought away angrily. David didn't get to do this, not after he had dismissed him so unceremoniously. 

''I see, so how is the old married couple? Are they married yet?'' Joe said icy and David smiled a little.  
''Well actually things are going pretty good I guess- Lip left his wife,'' David said and Joe's jaw dropped.

''Are you serious??'' he asked completely in shock and for a second he forgot about his anger.

''Yeah I am, but uh-are you gonna let me in or what?''

''Why should I? I haven't heard from you in years, I've written you tons of letters but you never replied to any of them.  
Just like in Bastogne you weren't there for me, so why should I let you in now?'' Joe asked aggressively but then out of nowhere Skip started patting his head against David's warm hand and then jumped in David's arms who stood there looking like lightning had struck him.

''Skip come here,'' Joe said completely stunned and he tried to take the cat out of David's arms but Skip hissed at him.  
He had never done that before- _ever._

''Well it seems like Skip kinda likes me, so maybe you should let me in and hear me out, in the memory of the guy who shared his name,''  
Joe had no arguments to defend himself so he gave up.

He knew David was right, the real Skip Muck would have let David in, they had lost him in Bastogne but everybody had loved him to death.  
Skip always took care of everybody, always included everybody and kept them happy and light hearted.

''Fine come on in then,'' Joe mumbled and he stepped aside and let David and Skip walk into his small cottage.

''Thanks, _wow nice house._ Small but comfy,'' David complimenting him on his house was the most uncomfortable feeling Joe had felt in three years time. He knew his house was shit compared to what David would be used to. 

''Well yeah-it's all right- I guess. So uhm-sit down, you wanna drink?'' he offered and David nodded and kept patting Skip who had lazily fell asleep on his lap.

''Sure water or something like that,'' _  
_

 _''Really-water?_ I was thinking about something stronger like Scotch,'' Joe grimaced and he saw David grin.

''That's also fine Joe, I don't care, I didn't come here for a drink,''

Joe walked to his little kitchen and grabbed his bottle of Scotch and two glasses and sat down on the opposite couch of David and handed him a glass.  
''Do you want ice?'' he asked but David shook his head.

''You have an awesome view Joe, I really _love_ the ocean,'' he sighed.

''So what did you come here for, if not for a drink?'' Joe liked to get straight to the point.

''Well it's complicated but uhm- well I thought I _never_ wanted to see you anymore-for obvious reasons, but then I got home and everything had changed.  
My family was nagging to my face about me getting married to some girl from a wealthy family, but I refused them. I want to be a writer, write a book about the war but they don't like that idea so they cut me off. So I left home, stuffed my backpack with everything I own and started traveling trough this country to visit our old friends.  
Luz gave me a type writer and I've started my story, he and the kid have moved to Huntington by the way- guess why,'' he smiled and Joe knew that Lipton lived in Huntington and smiled back.

Joe's heart was hammering away in his chest and he was feeling so many things that he was afraid he would explode.  
He was so angry at David for bursting back into his life but he had also known that he had never really got over David anyway.

''So anyways, I've stayed at Luz and Lip's for a while but I just never felt complete you know. So they told me to grow a pair and to visit you cause they knew that you were the one I wanted to be with. They also told me that you would be fucking mad at me for a long time, if you let me in- _which they seriously doubted_ -but that you eventually would grow up and realize that we could be together. Look, I was an arrogant prick Joe, I cared about my status too much, about being wealthy and stuff like that.  
You are a catch Joe, you are smart, you love reading the same books as me, you love the ocean and I would love to stay here with you and Skip and tell the rest of the world to go to hell, if you would only give me another chance,'' David pleaded and there were tears rolling down his beautiful cheeks.

His speech had made Joe cry and he got up from his couch and sat down next to David and took his hand and entwined their fingers together.

''Is that really what you want? Because it's going to be _fucking hard_ David, my family won't like this at all, society won't tolerate it. We will fight all the time, and we are very different. It's not that I don't want you cause you know I do, but I just wanna make sure that this is _really_ what you want from your life,''

David cupped his cheek with his warm hand and the warm gaze in his blue eyes took Joe's breath away.  
''It took me a long time to realize this but I love you Joe, isn't that all that matters?'' he said with sincerest smile Joe had ever seen on his face. David meant this. He could feel it. 

Hearing David saying that he loved him was almost too much for Joe to bear.

''You really love _me?''_  

''I do, these last few years have been torture Joe, I've kept myself busy but I just felt incomplete all the time. At night I couldn't sleep out of the guilt for leaving you, during the day I just wanted to die. I want this, just you and me living here in this beautiful place, by the ocean with Skip here.  
That is all I want and I know I fucked it up and it took me way to long to realize that but-''

Joe shoved Skip off David's lap and embraced his love close to his chest and kissed his lips to shut him up.  
It sent shivers down both of their spines and they let a simultaneous sigh escape their lips.

Joe had missed him so much, so fucking much.  
Every minute, every second of every day.

And he only now had realized it.  
Joe felt David's arms go over his back and he felt a tear land on his cheek, which he knew wasn't his own.

When David let him go he smiled and kissed Joe's cheeks and hugged him so tight that Joe almost felt the air being knocked out of his lungs, but he liked it anyway, it was a possessive embrace.

''Stay here with me?'' Joe asked when he had wiped some tears from his eyes.  
''Always,'' David smiled and he kissed his lips again.

David never left him again.

 

_Epilogue. January 10th 1968, Bastogne, Belgium._

 

 

Joe was standing near the entrance of the cemetery waiting for his fellow soldiers.  
David was beside him and had slipped his hand in the pocket of Joe's jacket to hold onto his hand for dear life.

David knew that Joe hated cemetery's and that he had a particular hard time coming back to Bastogne, but it was something they did every year.

To pay their respects to Skip Muck, Alex Penkala, Don Hoobler and many other friends who had lost their lives there.  
David had moved in with Joe immediately after he had visited him with his backpack and begged him for forgiveness.

Joe's family had objected to him living with a man of course, but they just told them that they were best friends and that David was from a very poor family and needed a place to stay.

His family just took it for a typical _''soldier thing''_ and had let it go.

Joe loved to go fishing with David or to take their boat which they named: _Currahee,_ and just to go out onto the ocean to stare into the emptiness of the sea.  
To enjoy the wild, unpredictable beauty of the ocean.

Sometimes Joe just sat on their porch reading a book with David, or they were writing to their friends.  
David was working on his book about the war and Joe was sure it would be an amazing book, but he could not ever bring himself to read it.

It would bring everything back to him.

But now they were back in Bastogne and it was the one place where Joe appreciated David's company but he knew that David could not understand the horrors that had happened there.  
Well he could relate to it for sure, but he had not _been_ there.

He had not seen Joe Toye and Bill Guarnere on the ground without any legs, or Buck Compton who was mentally completely shattered.

David was the lucky one, he had missed that god awful place.  
It was the only thing they sometimes still argued over, but they always made up with a nice amount of sex.

''Hey, they are here,'' David noticed and Joe had to pull himself back from his thought.  
He was hearing grenades go off, he heard people scream for medics, he felt the cold on his skin, he saw Lipton taking a paralyzed Smokey away.

He was reliving all of those things when he was in this place.

George Luz walked forwards with Carwood Lipton next to him and their son Muchnik- who was now an adult and his fathers both called him _Muck_ since it was easier to pronounce for Americans- was supporting his fathers who were already crying.

Joe rushed forward and embraced Carwood tight.  
_''Hey Carwood, I know it's hard buddy-but we have to do this okay-for Skip,''_ he said and Carwood shot him a watery smile.

''You okay dad?'' Muchnik asked and he took his fathers hand.

''Fine boy, it's just always hard, you know that. Even after all this time, it still feels the same.  
That hole inside of all of us never really gets fixed,'' Carwood said and he kissed his son's cheek.

''Speaking about fixing things, Eugene is here,'' David noticed and everybody gazed at their former Medic and saw that he was walking up with his wife Jane.  
The cemetery was steadily filling up with old Easy company members.

Babe Heffron and Bill Guarnere walked up together like always, and Joe Toye was not far behind them.  
On crutches of course, just like Bill, but they were still always happy and smiling.

They still had the spirits of a couple of nineteen year olds.

They were like heroes to Joe, they just kept on going, working hard and keeping the spirits up.  
Buck Compton also visited and told everybody that Malarkey would not make it, but that was no surprise since he had never visited Skip Muck's grave before.

Everybody knew that was way too hard on him, Muck's death had crippled Malarkey to his core but he was still in utter denial about his grief, even after all these years.

Bull Randleman walked up with Perconte and Johnny Martin and they were carrying big bouquets of flowers.  
When everybody had gathered they walked around the graves in silence.

Joe had been there a thousand times, but every year it was hard on him.  
Every time he saw all the names of the fallen soldiers he wondered: _why not me?_  
Why did I make it out alive instead of him?

Joe had been severely traumatized by the war and the slave camp so David had sent him to a shrink a few years back and it had helped for sure.  
But Joe still had nightmares sometimes, where he would wake up in his bed screaming, bathing in sweat.

David would always curl up behind him and hold him tight, and he always kissed him and sang him a song.  
And weird as it may have been, it helped Joe sleep.

They walked up at Skip's grave and Joe teared up immediately, just like pretty much everybody else.  
Skip Muck was a very special guy, the most well loved guy in the company.

The guy who was always forgiving and open to everybody.  
He was the reason why Joe had let David back into his life.

Because he felt like Skip would have done that do, he would have forgiven David for his past mistakes and he would have let it go.  
Skip was the glue that had taped their relationship up again.

When their cat Skip died, they bought another cat, and then another.  
_They never changed the name._

Because some things should not change.

Joe crouched down at Skip's grave and pressed a red rose in the dirt and looked at the blanket of fresh snow that had just fallen yesterday.  
He sank to his knees placed his fingers to his lips, kissed them and placed the kiss on the tombstone.

 _''Hey bud, we're back again. We miss you guys._ _  
__Take care of our friends up there okay, they will need you._ _And I'm sorry that we didn't bring Don, but he will come, one day._  
_I promise. Rest easy now_ _,''_

Joe felt David's hands on his shoulders and he got up and felt his lover's arms come over his body.

The fallen men of Easy company may be gone but they would never, _ever_ be forgotten.

 

 

 

 

_The end._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please review guys! <3


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